Decisions
by letthefirefly
Summary: "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." For the first time in her life, Clementine is forced to make decisions an eleven-year old shouldn't have to make. (Based on Telltale's TWD, contains spoilers for Season 2 Episode 2)
1. Chapter 1: A Changed Man

_Decisions_

_/_

"_Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."_

Being stuck in the middle was a new thing for Clementine. In the past, she had always been picked close to last for her ragtag soccer team. She was small, scrawny, weak, and timid. At least, she had been before her own babysitter had tried to take her face off with her teeth. A person had to grow a spine before they had it ripped out of their body.

Clementine had adapted in admirable fashion; Darwin had nothing on her. She attacked first and questioned later. Her neutral expression became a death glare rather than a meek smile. She kept her trusty hammer in the belt loop of her ripped jeans. The scrawny girl had taken a level in badass.

Even so, she was still surprised to be picked first for something for once.

"Clementine, come sit over here with me and Sarita!" The eleven-year old looked over at the plastic picnic tables. Kenny was smiling at her expectantly, and Sarita was looking at her equally warmly.

"Um…Clem?" A tentative voice met Clementine's ears, and she looked over at the other picnic table. Luke was looking at her, grinning and gesturing for her to join them. Nick was shoveling food into his mouth.

Clementine looked back at Kenny's table. The grizzled Floridian smiled, a little bit insecure. Sarita watched the young girl curiously.

Clementine glanced at Luke. The man slowly lowered his hand, not gesturing for Clementine to join them anymore. Luke's smile shrank and finally, he looked a little disappointed as he turned back around to the table. Nick looked up; his blue eyes met Clementine's. The eleven-year old watched him for a moment. The abrasive man watched her for a moment longer, then frowned, looking back down at his food.

Clementine scratched her head and walked over to Kenny's table. The bearded man welcomed her. "Hi, Clem! There's plenty of food here, so eat up! Have all the peaches and beans you want!"

"Thanks." replied Clementine absentmindedly, sitting down. As she ate, she watched her group interact at the other table. Luke glanced back only once. When he met her gaze, he quickly looked away. Clementine didn't miss the look of disappointment on his face. Nick didn't look over.

"Clem?"

The girl looked at Kenny. Evidently he had asked her a question and was waiting for a response.

Clementine smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I was asking if you wanted to stay with our group when the rest of your people leave in the morning."

Clementine just looked at him, astonished. Kenny was smiling at her benignly, but as he saw her expression, his smile began to fade. "What's the problem? Don't you want to stay with us?"

"I…" Clementine looked over at her group. Alvin was urging Rebecca to eat another spoonful of peaches and beans, but the pregnant woman was waving his hand away. The eleven-year old looked back at Kenny. "I couldn't just leave them. Pete just died and Rebecca's going to have her baby and…"

She trailed off as Kenny's face darkened. Sarita's eyes were on Kenny, gauging his reaction. Almost imperceptibly, she scooted slightly away, and Clementine saw the shadow of a purple bruise on her cheekbone.

Kenny slammed his fist on the table. "Dammit, Clem!" Clementine, frightened, looked at her group. Luke had looked around at the loud noise, and his eyes were on Kenny in a death glare as he stood up.

"You're staying with us, and that's final!" Kenny was shouting now, and Sarita stood up, backing away from him. "I mean it, Duck!"

Kenny's shouting stopped abruptly as he realized what he had said. Slowly, the grizzled man lowered his hand, and he picked up his spoon quietly. Slowly he began to eat again. Sarita quietly began to clear the plates that had been tipped over by Kenny hitting the table.

"Is there a problem, Clem?" Clementine felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Luke standing over her. Nick was just behind him. Luke's eyes went to Kenny, who was forlornly eating.

Clementine paused, looking at Kenny. The man cradled his head in one hand and ate with the other.

"No, Luke. It's fine. Just bad memories," Clementine finally said.

Luke nodded, still watching Kenny eat. "Okay," he replied. "Just let me know if anything's wrong." The young man moved back to his own table, accompanied by Nick, who trailed him like a lost puppy.

Clementine looked at Kenny. The man was rubbing his temple and looking sadly down at his plate of food. "Oh, Jesus, Clem," he said plaintively. "I'm sorry, I'm just…"

"It's okay. I understand," she replied. "I miss Duck, too."

Kenny looked at her. The Floridian's eyes were watery and bloodshot. "You're a good kid, Clementine," he said gruffly, patting her on the shoulder. Then he groaned, getting up from the table and addressing everyone.

"I'm going to turn in for the night, folks. Feel free to stay up as late as you want but keep the lights to a minimum. We don't want this place to stick out like a sore thumb." Kenny shuffled away from the picnic table and shambled upstairs, disappearing into a room.

Clementine got up and walked over to the other picnic table. Luke looked up as she approached.

"Listen," the young girl began, "I…Kenny…"

Luke raised a hand, silencing her. "Hey, don't worry. It's fine. I understand; you wanted to catch up is all. If I was in your place, I would've done the same." Nick just frowned, meditatively stirring around his remaining food with his spoon.

Luke trailed off as Sarita approached the group's table. "Oh, hello, Sarita," Alvin greeted, smiling. "The food was really nice."

Sarita smiled modestly. "Well, thank you," she said, laughing, "but I did not make it. Another member of our group, Walt, did." She glanced over at Clementine. "In fact, Clementine helped him make it. Didn't she tell you?"

Luke looked over at her. Clementine was a little wary at the look in his eyes. It said, _You need to be careful around people you don't know._

"No," Luke said slowly, "she didn't."

There was a silence.

"Well, maybe she forgot," Sarita said, smiling again, albeit a little forcedly. "Anyway, I just came over to tell you; there are cots in the room with the Christmas tree as well as couches your group can sleep on."

"Thank you, Sarita," Alvin said graciously, smiling at the Indian woman. "You've done more than enough for us, especially Rebecca and I. We're very thankful."

Sarita smiled demurely. "It's been no problem. I hope you rest well. Good night." As Sarita backed away, Clementine looked at her cheek again. Was it just a shadow, or did Sarita have a bruise on her cheekbone?

As the Indian woman walked away, Carlos called to her. "Sarita?"

Sarita turned around and came back to the table. "What is it?"

The Hispanic man paused for a moment, glancing at Sarah, who was absentmindedly fiddling with her spoon. Then he looked back at Sarita.

"Did Kenny…how did you get that bruise? On your cheek?" Clementine watched Sarita, interested in her response.

The woman blushed and turned her cheek away from Carlos. "Oh, I…I just was careless. I ran into something. But I am fine, please don't worry about it." Sarita laughed, but it sounded very forced and fake.

Carlos watched her wordlessly for a few seconds. "Okay," he replied finally. "Good night, Sarita."

"Good night," the Indian woman replied quickly, and strode upstairs quickly. When she was gone, Luke looked at Carlos.

"What the hell, man! You don't need to be making waves! You knew perfectly well what that bruise was from-"

"I wanted to see what her response would be," Carlos interrupted. "If she would tell us the truth about Kenny."

"Wait a minute," Clementine interjected, "You think Kenny hit Sarita?"

Carlos folded his arms. "I don't see what else it could conceivably be, Clementine. People don't just go around…running into things."

"Kenny wouldn't hurt a fly!" Clementine defended. "He's a good man! He saved Christa's life, he saved my life, and he tried to find us a boat so we could all be safe."

"Okay," Luke conceded, "but, either way, Sarita has a bruise on her cheek."

Carlos looked down at Clementine sagely. "People change, you know. How long has it been since you last saw Kenny?"

Clementine thought for a moment. "Maybe…two and a half years? When I was eight, almost nine. I'm eleven now."

Carlos nodded as if he expected such a response. "Have you changed in two and a half years, Clementine?"

"Yes," the eleven-year old admitted. Carlos glanced over at Sarah. He put a protective arm around his daughter and looked squarely at Clementine.

"I'm not accusing Kenny, but the evidence is against him now." Carlos said. "Either way, we're leaving in the morning. I don't trust him, least of all around my daughter." He turned to Sarah and tightened his arm around her. She smiled as he hugged her.

"But…" Clementine trailed off as Carlos pointedly began talking to Sarah. She looked at Luke helplessly, but the young man shrugged.

"You can't argue with the logic. Besides, it's up to you to decide whether Kenny is a changed man. Decide for yourself and make the judgment your own way."

"And what's your judgment?" Clementine challenged. Luke raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, don't bite my head off! I barely know the guy! I can't pass judgment!" The young man got up and picked up his plate, walking it to the cafeteria counter and setting it down.

Clementine sat contemplatively. Did Kenny seem like a changed man? Maybe. She was only eight then; she hadn't picked up on a lot of the adult stuff. She was too busy coloring. But she vividly remembered Kenny always being gentle and kind toward Katjaa and Duck.

Clementine remembered the day's afternoon. When Sarita had picked up a box, Kenny had snapped at her. "I'll get it," he had said, snatching the box out of her grip. Sarita had laughed it off. "He's so chivalrous," she had said, but Clementine had not missed her flinch as Kenny had moved toward her.

Was Kenny a changed man? Clementine couldn't know for sure, but one thing she did know, she was definitely leaving with the rest of her group when the time came.

/

**A/N: *braces self for abuse from readers* I know you guys all love Kenny, but as of Season 2 Episode 2, I am really starting to dislike him. There's something…different about him. He's not just a redneck Floridian anymore. Now he's an **_**unstable **_**redneck Floridian. I'm just here to explore those different facets of his personality. I'm going to diverge from the game's storyline quite a bit, being that I will probably release chapters faster than Telltale (challenge accepted, Telltale? Episode 2 took **_**forever **_**to release!). Be ready for the next chapter whenever; I'm not about that deadline life. **

**Read, review, tell me what's wrong and whether I should continue this or just let it go (pardon the pun) to the walkers. I don't want to waste time on a story nobody will read when I could work on Last of Us fics. Love you guys! xx**


	2. Chapter 2: Under Pressure

_Decisions_

_Chapter Two: Under Pressure_

_/_

"_The best way to figure out if you can trust someone is to trust them."_

Clementine awakened to the smell of peaches and beans. Sitting up and looking around blearily, the young girl got to her feet, feeling her back crack in a way no eleven-year old's should. Perhaps it was the hard cots Kenny had provided with the best intentions. Stretching her arms above her head, Clementine looked around for the rest of her group.

Nick was sprawled out across a tattered loveseat, his legs draped over the arm of the piece of furniture. Luke was just waking up, throwing the thin blanket off his body where he lay on one of the cots. Sarah slept cuddled in an armchair and Carlos lay on the floor beside the chair.

Clementine put on her baseball cap and walked over to Luke. "Where's Alvin and Rebecca?"

Luke rubbed his eyes groggily. "I think they took the master bedroom. It's just down the hall." He gestured vaguely toward the landing where the stairs were. "Why don't you go downstairs and see if anybody else is up?"

As Clementine began to walk toward the stairs, Luke quickly grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. "What?" asked the girl, startled.

Luke was solemn. "Now I know that Kenny trusts you, Clementine," he said seriously, "but I want you to promise to be very careful around him. Pressure can change people, and I'm sure he has been under a lot of pressure since you saw him last."

"But…" Clementine objected, and Luke raised his hand to silence her.

"Please, Clem, just listen to me on this one," Luke said wearily, and the look on his face stopped Clementine from saying anything further.

"Okay," she conceded quietly, "I'll go downstairs while you wake up the rest of the group." Luke nodded in agreement and walked over to the sleeping Nick while Clementine went downstairs.

She had to admit, Kenny and his group couldn't have picked a better place to stay. The ski lodge was abundantly stocked with food as well as ice tools that could be used as weapons in a jam. There was a warm fireplace and more than enough room for everybody.

"But things never work out that way," she muttered to herself. If there was one thing she had learned, it was that things are usually too good to be true. Her group and Kenny's would never truly see eye-to-eye, she knew, especially since they suspected he had struck Sarita.

Clementine walked into the cafeteria area and saw somebody bustling around in the kitchen. As he heard her footsteps approaching, the man turned around. He was a bald, middle-aged man of average height. He smiled warmly at her as he messed around with some pots and pans.

"Hi, there," the man said, and Clementine smiled in return.

"Hi, Walt," she replied. "Need some help?"

"Thanks, Clementine, but I think I've got it under control. How about if you get your friends down here? Breakfast should be ready shortly." Walt stirred the concoction around with a wooden spoon as he spoke.

"Sure," Clementine agreed, and walked out of the cafeteria area into the main room. Kenny and Sarita were talking near the stairs. The young girl was about to greet them when she noticed their body language. Kenny seemed tense and rigid while Sarita looked frightened. Quickly, Clementine edged over behind the Christmas tree set up on one side of the room and ducked behind it. She turned her head, desperate to pick up on their conversation.

"…couldn't have been bandits," Kenny was saying. "Nothing was taken. Nothing's tipped over or messed up."

"But the door's lock is busted!" argued Sarita. "How do you explain that? It didn't just happen!"

Kenny threw up his hands exasperatedly. "I don't know Sarita! Do I look like a fucking psychic to you?"

Sarita backed up a step, reaching behind her to grip the banister. "Look, Kenny," she began, "I don't know what's going on. All I know is that something is very wrong."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do about it?" Kenny asked, his voice getting louder. "I'm doing the best I can already here!"

Sarita raised her hands in surrender, trying to diffuse the situation. "I know, Kenny. I know." she said gently. "I'm just worried about somebody trying to hurt us."

Kenny relaxed his posture and walked forward, hugging Sarita to him. "Don't worry," he muttered to her. "I won't let anything happen to you." He released her and began to walk toward the cafeteria area.

"Wait," Sarita called. When the grizzled man turned around, Sarita spoke. "What about that little girl. Clementine?" At the mention of her name, Clementine pressed her body closer to the Christmas tree, taking care not to rustle the needles.

"What about her?" Kenny asked. "She's staying with us."

"But she didn't want to." Sarita protested. "She wants to be with her group."

"That's just what she thinks right now," Kenny insisted. "She's just confused. She was lost and alone and then she found them and she thinks they're the best things since sliced bread. She'll come around, you'll see."

Sarita frowned, but didn't pursue the issue. Clementine crouched on her heels nervously as Kenny walked into the cafeteria area. Sarita stood by the stairs silently for a moment, seemingly at a loss. Then she followed Kenny into the cafeteria area.

When the Indian woman was gone, Clementine slinked back up the stairs, thinking about the conversation. Kenny was going to force her to stay against her wishes? Maybe he _had _changed. Clementine reached the top of the stairs where Luke and Nick were putting on their boots. Carlos was buttoning his shirt and Sarah was combing her hair.

"Did you wake up Alvin and Rebecca?" Clementine asked Luke. The young man shrugged.

"I knocked, but they didn't answer. Figured I shouldn't wake them since they need all the sleep they can get before that baby's born."

Clementine glanced around surreptitiously before gesturing for Luke to come closer. He crouched down beside her, worried. "What's the problem?"

"I heard Sarita and Kenny talking. I think somebody tried to break in or something. The lock on the door was broken, but they said nothing was missing."

Luke frowned. "That's…strange. Bandits and scavengers would take everything they could get their hands on. Are you sure nothing was stolen or damaged?"

The eleven-year old shrugged. "That's what I heard Kenny say." She paused before continuing, "What if it's not bandits? What if it's…Carver?"

Luke looked at her grimly. "That's what I was thinking. But if they busted the lock, it seems like they would've come inside."

"Unless they were scouting." Carlos' voice came from behind Clementine, and she turned, startled. She hadn't thought he was listening. The Hispanic man strode up to her. "Did you hear anything else about the situation?"

Clementine shook her head. "Not about the bandits, no. But…Kenny was talking about forcing me to stay when you guys decide to leave."

Nick slammed his fist into the open palm of his other hand. Apparently Clementine wasn't being as discreet as she had thought. "Not without a fight!" the hotheaded man growled, his blue eyes sparking dangerously.

"Just a minute," Carlos said to Nick, and then turned to Clementine. "Do you…want to stay? I won't stand in your way if you do. I know you and Kenny have known each other for a while."

Clementine hesitated, thinking about Kenny's behavior at the dinner table the previous night and his conversation with Sarita that morning. She frowned. Luke had been right; Kenny _was _a changed man. Even as her eight-year old self, Clementine had never known Kenny to act in the way he did now. He was…scary. Maybe the deaths of his wife and son had finally taken their toll on him.

"No," Clementine said firmly. "Kenny isn't the same anymore. There's something…weird about him. I wouldn't mind if we left now, even."

Carlos watched her as she spoke, his eyes serious. "I respect your judgment, Clementine. The matter is settled; we leave in approximately thirty minutes. I will wake Alvin and Rebecca." The Hispanic man walked down the hall toward the master bedroom.

Clementine breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't even know she had been holding in. Luke smiled to see her relax.

"To be honest, I'm glad to leave, too." the young man said. "As nice as they were, I just felt…uncomfortable."

"Yeah," Sarah chimed in. "That man slammed his fist on the table last night. I didn't like that much."

Luke spoke again. "Now, the plan is, we leave quietly and attract as little attention as possible. If Carver's men are around-"

Luke was interrupted by Carlos' shout of surprise. "Alvin!" the Hispanic man shouted, disappearing into the room.

Luke, Nick, Sarah, and Clementine rushed into the master bedroom. What they saw there appalled them.

Alvin lay on the ground face-up, a pool of blood puddled under his head. A gash marked the side of his head. Sarah gasped and turned her face away.

Carlos knelt beside him and cradled his head. As he tried to resuscitate Alvin, Carlos looked sharply up. "Somebody get some bandages from my kit. Quickly!" Before Clementine could respond, Luke rushed out of the room.

Clementine looked around. "Where's Rebecca?"

Rebecca was not in the room.

Luke came back, a wad of bandages in one hand and some hydrogen peroxide in the other. Carlos snatched the items and frantically poured peroxide in Alvin's gash. As the solution bubbled and stung, Alvin opened his eyes with a gasp. His eyes rolled around the room wildly until they met Carlos.

"Who did this to you?" Carlos asked him. "And where's Rebecca? She's not here."

At the mention of his wife's disappearance, Alvin sat up quickly. "Rebecca's missing? That bastard!" The large man reeled back dizzily and Carlos caught him.

"Careful, you've lost quite a bit of blood." As Carlos patched him up, he asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Alvin nodded groggily. "Me and Rebecca were just lying here when I heard the door creak. I opened my eyes to see two men and one woman standing over me with guns. And one of the men was…Carver."

Luke gasped. "Jesus!" Nick grimaced and folded his arms.

Alvin continued. "I tried to tackle him, but he sidestepped me and I fell on the ground. Somebody hit me with the butt of their gun and I blacked out. Last thing I heard was Rebecca's muffled yell."

Carlos looked grim. "We have a situation. It looks like Carver kidnapped Rebecca. We need to make a plan. Immediately. We need a good tracker. Anyone have skills in that particular field?"

"I do."

Clementine turned to the door to see Walt standing in the doorway. He looked apologetic. "Sorry, I heard the tail end of your conversation. It sounds like one of your people's been taken."

"Yes, they have," Nick said, immediately on the defensive. "What's it to you?"

"Well, it just so happens that I am a tracker. I'd like to help you. If my…significant other was missing, I'd do just about anything to get them back," Walt replied.

Carlos nodded. "Thank you." The Hispanic man stood and addressed everyone. "All of you, except for Alvin and Sarah, we leave in fifteen minutes. They cannot have gotten far in the night."

Alvin began to protest. "But I want to help-"

"You _are _going to stay here," Carlos interrupted firmly. "You are injured, Alvin. Leave it to us."

Alvin glared at Carlos. "Dammit Carlos, she's my wife!"

"And she wouldn't want you rushing into trouble when you're already injured!" Carlos retorted.

Alvin was silent. Carlos turned to the rest of the group again.

"Prepare yourselves and meet me at the front door in fifteen minutes."

Clementine and the rest of the group left the master bedroom to prepare. The eleven-year old looked for her backpack. Where was it? Finally she remembered; she had left it downstairs when the group had cleared themselves of weapons. She walked down the stairs to the main landing to get her gun.

Her backpack lay on the ground where she had left it, along with Luke rifle and Nick's pistols. Clementine picked up the bag and immediately frowned. It felt light. Too light. Like something was missing.

Clementine quickly opened her bag. The knife she had taken from the small lodge at the base of the hill was gone. The knife she had taken after Nick had killed its owner.

"Looking for something?"

Clementine turned to see the knife. It was being twirled around in the hands of-

"I wondered why Matthew hadn't come back. Now I know."

The knife twirled around and around.

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Dun Dun Duun!**

**Well I got this chapter out a lot faster than expected, but that's because my school was closed due to snow. Funny. Yesterday it was fifty degrees and sunny. Today it was thirty-two and snowy. Let that be a lesson to you all: Never move to the Midwest; it sucks.**

**Anyway, if you care to speculate on the events in the next chapter, do so in the reviews. Love you guys! xx **


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth

**A/N: Just me responding to reviewers:**

**Aiko: Thanks for the long review; it made me feel good! I agree that there was a lot going on in that chapter, but I just felt it had to be done! Although one of your assumptions about what would happen in the next chapter was slightly off. Remember when I said I was going to diverge from the storyline? I think you'll be taken by surprise :3 P.S: Yeah, Sarita's an Indian woman. I double-checked on the wiki site since I thought she was Hispanic as well!**

**Martial Arts Master: That was one of my initial thought for the story, but I decided against it. I didn't want to follow too close to the storyline :) **

**Updating will be intermittent from here on since schoolwork is slowly murdering me. But I promise I won't abandon this now after y'all like it! Enjoy Chapter 3!**

_Decisions_

_Chapter Three: The Truth_

_/_

"_Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."_

The knife twirled around and around in the man's hands as he eyed Clementine. Warily, Clementine backed up until her back touched the banister of the stairs.

"Listen," she said, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice, "put the knife down, and we can talk about this."

Kenny narrowed his eyes and the knife glinted threateningly. "Where did this knife come from, Clementine? Tell me the truth."

Inconspicuously, Clementine looked at her backpack, which was lying to her left. Her handgun was sticking out slightly. She could reach it if she-

"I'm waiting." Kenny's eyes were narrowed dangerously.

The eleven-year old glanced down at her backpack again before she spoke. "Our group was split. Luke and I went ahead on the bridge and Matthew met us in the middle. He had a gun when he was talking to us. The rest of our group came up and Nick thought he was going to shoot us. He shot Matthew, but it was an accident, I swear!" Clementine's voice rose in pitch as she finished.

Kenny closed his eyes for a moment and Clementine edged slightly closer to her bag. When the grizzled man opened his eyes again, he spoke, twirling the blade between his fingers.

To her surprise, Kenny smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, however. "Of course, I don't blame you, Clementine. You're just a little girl, of course you didn't kill Matthew." The Floridian stepped toward the eleven-year old, still brandishing the knife. "Who did?"

For the first time in her life, Clementine was truly frightened of Kenny. He was standing over her, still playing with the large knife. The girl began to quiver as she glanced down at her pack again. There was no way she could get to her gun in time. She had to create some sort of distraction.

Clementine swallowed hard before she responded, her voice quivering, "It…it was Nick. Nick shot him. But it was an accident!"

Kenny narrowed his eyes and backed up, dropping the hand holding the knife to his side. "I knew it! That little Vanilla Ice prick couldn't be trusted! Not after…"

"He's a good man!" defended Clementine. "He was just trying to protect us! That man, Matthew, he had a gun pointed at us!"

"You're a little kid! Of course you think all people are nice; you're innocent!" Kenny snarled. "Well, I'm afraid to tell you, it's time to face the real world, where everybody's a shitty person! Even the ones you think you know!"

The other Clementine, the submissive and mild one, would have endured Kenny's words without a peep and timidly walked away. However, Clementine had changed in the two-and-a-half years since she had seen Kenny. She didn't feel obligated to take people's shit anymore.

"I'm eleven!" Clementine screamed. "I know how things work, I've killed walkers before! A lot! I had to kill Lee, too! Do you think that was easy? I've grown up a lot since I was eight! I've learned who to trust and who to be cautious around! And you know what I think?"

Kenny scoffed. "What?"

Clementine's lip curled up in a sneer. "I think the only shitty person I've encountered since Lee died is _you_!"

Whether it was her outburst, her bold tone, or the fact that she actually _cursed_, Kenny remained silent. When he offered no response, Clementine went on.

"When my friends doubted you, I told them you were a good person! That there was no way you would hit Sarita in a million years! But now I think you did! You're way different than you used to be, and there's no way I'm going to stay with your group now!"

Kenny got over his initial shock. "Why, you little pissant!" The grizzled man strode forward and seized Clementine's arm. "I'm going to teach you a lesson in manners!" As he started to drag her toward him, Clementine shrieked. His fingers dug into her thin arm painfully.

"Leave her alone, Kenny!" A threatening voice came from the stairs.

Clementine quickly turned to look. Walt stood at the top of the stairs, his hand planted on the gun in his holster.

"Now I don't want to hurt you, Kenny," the bald man warned, "but if you hurt that girl, you leave me no choice.

Kenny gritted his teeth as he looked at Walter, but he didn't release Clementine's arm. "You don't understand what's going on, Walt! Stay out of it!"

"I already heard the whole thing!" Walter retorted. "I heard everything you two said! I know that Matthew is dead! But I trust Clementine when she says it was an accident!"

"What makes you think she's not lying?" challenged Kenny, finally letting go of her arm. Clementine immediately wrenched herself away from him and lunged for her backpack, closing her fingers around her pistol. She turned cautiously, eyeing Kenny. His eyes were on her, watching her grip her gun tightly. She let go of her gun with one hand to rub her bruised arm.

"I know she's not lying because I overheard Luke and Nick talking about it earlier. Although, at the time, I didn't realize they were talking about Matthew. But Nick was pretty shook up about it, which is something that cold-blooded killers never are."

"But," Kenny protested, grasping at straws, "aren't you upset about it? Don't you want revenge?"

"Yes, I am upset," Walter replied quietly, and Clementine could see the sorrow reflected in his eyes, "but revenge is never the way to solve things. It only leads to more bloodshed." He looked in pity at Kenny. "It's about time people learned that now."

Kenny was silent for a few moments. Then he spat on the ground in disgust, tossing Matthew's knife to one side. "Revenge keeps people _alive_, Walt. Remember? If we had only-"

"I _know _what happened, Kenny." interrupted Walter. "I was there. There's no need to bring it up again."

Kenny watched Walter for a few more moments, then began to walk away angrily. However, before he went, he hissed some parting words at Clementine.

"You think your group's so trustworthy?" he challenged. "Well, let me tell you, I know some things about your so-called _friends_. And if you want to follow them and die right along with them, well, _be my fucking guest!"_ Kenny spat on the on the ground again before stalking away.

Clementine looked at Walter cautiously. The bald man was trying to put on a brave face, but tears were streaming down the sides of his cheeks. "Oh, Matthew," he lamented. "if only you hadn't gone out alone…"

Clementine picked up the knife carefully and walked over to Walt, offering it to him. "Here," the young girl murmured gently. "You should have it."

Walter merely looked at the serrated blade with watery eyes. Finally he reached his hand out and took the knife, loosely gripping it.

"I know it probably doesn't mean anything to you," Clementine went on, "but I'm really sorry about Matthew. He seemed like a good man."

Walter sniffed and wiped his eyes. "He was. He really was."

Clementine heard footsteps rushing down the stairs and looked up. Carlos, Luke, and Nick were hurrying down, each man carrying a gun and a backpack.

"Are you ready, Clementine?" Luke asked urgently. "We need to get going, now!"

"Wait," she replied, looking at Walt. The bald man had his eyes on Nick, who was looking back at him uneasily.

"Nick," Clementine said quietly, "you need to tell Walter what happened on the bridge."

Nick eyed Walter cautiously, regarding the knife in his hand. Walter saw where Nick was looking and set the knife beside him on the banister, folding his hands behind his back.

Nick began shakily. "Clem and Luke were ahead of us on the bridge! I saw a man with a gun-could've been anybody, you know?" The nervous man fidgeted a little before continuing. "I didn't know if I hit him at first-but I did. He fell into the river. It was an accident! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Walt!"

Walter bowed his head sadly and Clementine saw more tears trickle down his face. Slowly, she reached her hand forward and touched his shoulder. When he didn't respond, she moved closer, giving him a hug.

Walter seemed to melt into her embrace, beginning to cry harder. Nick just stood on the stairs, seemingly at a loss. "I'm sorry, Walter," he said again.

The bald man cried for a couple of minutes before steeling himself and releasing Clementine. The eleven-year old backed away, still watching Walter.

"We're going to go find Rebecca," Clementine said gently. "If you still want to help us, you're welcome to. If you don't, we won't be mad."

Walter took out a handkerchief and blew his nose loudly. Wiping his nose, he put the cloth back in his pocket before responding. "Yes, I'll still help you. That woman is in trouble and I can't just stand idly by while you all try to rescue her. I'm coming along."

To Clementine's surprise, Nick walked forward, extending his hand. "Listen," he said, not meeting Walter's gaze, "I really appreciate that you're willing to help us still. Not many people would."

Walter nodded, sniffling again. "It's okay, son. I know you didn't mean to shoot Matthew. Now let's focus on the task at hand: finding Rebecca." The bald man strode down the stairs, grabbing a gun lying near the coatrack and turned to the rest of the group. "Ready?"

"Hold on," Clementine said, and turned to Carlos. "I think it would be best if you brought Sarah."

The Hispanic man frowned. "Clementine, you know how I feel about Sarah. If she got hurt-"

"I'm afraid of what Kenny might do," Clementine interrupted. "I'll explain later, just…bring her, okay?"

Carlos watched her silently for a couple of seconds. Finally he called upstairs, "Sarah?" As Sarah obediently appeared at the top of the stairs, Clementine asked, "Is Alvin fit to travel too?"

The Hispanic man shook his head. "He's lost a lot of blood. The best thing for him right now is to lie down."

As they left, Clementine took one glance back at the ski lodge. She was alarmed to see the glaring face of Kenny in the window, watching them leave. The eleven-year old quickly turned around and followed Luke more closely, tightening her grip on her gun.

Kenny's behavior had startled her; she had never expected him to behave like that. She certainly had never expected him to grab her arm. She knew she would have bruises from his tight grip.

Yes, there was definitely something wrong with Kenny's mind, she knew for sure, but there was another pressing matter at hand. Kenny and Walter both seemed to know secrets about her friends. Kenny definitely had some sort of problem with one or more members of her group.

Clementine didn't know what was going on, but she knew one thing. Kenny was not to be trusted around her group. She especially worried about Alvin, whom they had been forced to leave behind.

_Kenny, _she thought, _you'd better not do anything to Alvin, or I'll kill you. I mean it._

She was only a little surprised at her own malice.

**A/N: Whew. Talk about plot twists, huh? Kenny turns out to be a huge psycho, and Clementine does some verbal ass-kicking. And what's this secret that Kenny and Walter know about Clementine's group? Review, speculate, and I'll leave my responses to you in the next chapter! Love you guys! xx**

**P.S: The next chapter will probably take a little longer to be uploaded, but it will most likely be up in less than a week.**


	4. Chapter 4: Seven Hours Earlier

**A/N: Aiko33: So cool that you finally got an account! I'm glad! Yeah, I knew everybody would assume Walter, so I deviously changed it to Kenny :) You're right on the account of Kenny; he **_**does **_**view Clementine as Duck, so he wants to protect her. His intentions are good; unfortunately, he doesn't express his feelings in the best way, especially since his mind is deluded. As for Carver going after Rebecca, well, you'll find out soon enough!**

**Legionary Prime: Yes, Kenny's change stems partially from the deaths of Katjaa and Duck. Even in Season 1 you could see how his attitude changed after their deaths. However, that is not the only reason for his change. Something happened between the time Clementine lost Lee and when she was discovered by Luke and Pete. But I don't want to spoil it too much!**

**aviaze: Thanks for the review! If my writing affected you that much, then I'm really excited! Yes, Walt is a good man. I wanted to portray him that way because I felt bad about him in Episode 2. He really got the bad end of the stick, so to speak. I just wanted to develop him as a character a little bit more because I liked him so much. And no, you haven't written too much! Long reviews are like caffeine to me; they keep me going and going! 3**

**P.S: Guys, **_**Decisions **_**is my most visited AND most popular story on ffnet! I love you guys!**

/

_Decisions_

_Chapter Four: Seven Hours Earlier_

"_I know why the caged bird sings."_

Rebecca's eyes opened wide as the door creaked open. Beside her, Alvin stirred quietly. As the pregnant woman saw silhouettes of three people skulking about, she nudged her husband.

"Alvin!" she whispered urgently. Alvin turned his head slowly, unwilling to attract attention. His glasses were on, and Rebecca realized that he had already been awake.

As the three people whispered amongst themselves, Alvin slowly positioned himself to be able to move quickly, moving the comforter slightly so he wouldn't be tangled in it.

One of the people crept closer and Alvin prepared to leap out of bed and tackle them. When the person got close enough, the large man lunged. The intruder leaped back reflexively and Alvin tumbled to the carpet with a dull thud.

Rebecca reached for her knife at the bedside table, but the surface of the table was bare. Surprised, she turned her head to see one of the intruders standing over her. He was holding her knife. As the knife glinted in the moonlight from the open window, the pregnant woman caught a glimpse of the man's face. "Bill," she spat.

"Hello, Rebecca," said Carver calmly, turning on the bedside lamp.

Alvin was still struggling on the floor when one of the other intruders slammed the butt of his rifle into her husband's head, effectively silencing him.

"Alv-!" Rebecca screamed before Carver slapped a hand over her mouth. She continued to struggle and scream into Carver's hand.

Carver calmly leaned forward. "You're looking well, Rebecca." he said, pointedly looking at her distended stomach. Rebecca's screaming subsided and she shot Carver a look of pure hatred. She muttered three words into Carver's hand. Though they were muffled, Carver got the message and his eyes narrowed.

"I don't think you're in any position to be disrespectful." Carver said softly. "Somebody could get hurt." He glanced back, and one of the other intruders stepped toward Alvin's prone body, lifting his rifle to hit the large man again.

Rebecca frantically shook her head. "No, don't hurt him!" she screamed, still muffled by Carver's hand. Carver raised an eyebrow and signaled the other intruder to desist.

Carver took a deep breath and then exhaled. He sat down on the bed beside Rebecca, loosening his hand over her mouth. "I think it's time we made a deal. You don't want me to hurt your husband. And I want our baby, Rebecca." He leaned forward, smiling. "So, here's what I was thinking. You come with me to my camp quietly and have the baby, and you will be free to return to your group." He took his hand away from her mouth so she could answer.

"Fuck you, Bill!" Rebecca spat as soon as her mouth was free. "The baby is _mine and Alvin's! _Not yours!"

Carver's face darkened and the pregnant woman felt a twinge of fear. The man reared back and slapped her across the face. Rebecca's head was thrown to the right and she slowly turned to face Carver again, the whole left side of her face aflame.

To her surprise, the deranged man smiled widely, his expression deceptively good-natured. Rebecca's fear increased tenfold. _He's insane. He's fucking nuts. _"You can deny it all you want, Rebecca," Carver said in a friendly tone, "but I know the truth. So whether you like it or not, you're coming with me." He leaned forward, his smile widening further like a shark before it eats. "And you're not going to scream either," he said softly. "or your poor husband might get hurt even worse. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Rebecca peered over the edge of the bed at her unconscious husband. He lay prone on the ground with his face tilted to one side, his cheek pressed against the carpet. There was a gash on the side of his head still bleeding. A pool of blood had already coagulated underneath Alvin's head. The pregnant woman could see the slight rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed. _If he took another hit like that…_

"Fine," Rebecca said defiantly, turning her body to get out of bed with some difficulty. Carver signaled to his comrades and they came forward. The man who had hit Alvin lifted her easily out of bed and set her on her feet. She responded by giving him a death glare, and he merely looked at her impassively. The other intruder, a tall redhead woman, threw Rebecca's left arm over her shoulder and began to support her as they walked.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't walk!" Rebecca hissed, wrenching her arm away. The red-haired woman rolled her eyes and moved away.

Carver smirked and pressed a finger to his lips, signaling her to be silent. Then he made a thumbs-up sign and dragged his thumb across his throat, looking pointedly at Alvin.

Rebecca silently stepped over the motionless body of her husband and exited the master bedroom, followed closely by Carver and his two comrades. Carver looked around cautiously, listening for any movement in the ski lodge. Hearing none, he slowly crept down the hallway, signaling for the others to follow. Rebecca's eyes desperately darted around for any sort of weapon she could conceal and use when they least expected it. Unfortunately, Kenny's group was the sort who did not just leave arms lying around, so she found nothing.

The group began to descend the stairs. Carver immediately stilled when one of the steps creaked under his weight. When he heard no movement, he continued to walk down the stairs. Rebecca tried to purposely make the stair creak as she passed over it, but she didn't weigh enough. _You'd think being pregnant with a ten-pound baby would make me gain some weight._

Carver reached the front door of the ski lodge and opened it carefully. Rebecca could see that the lock was broken. The group went outside and began to walk down the hill. Carver drew his pistol, wary of any walkers that would be around. Rebecca glanced around as they reached the bottom of the tall hill. Carver's group kept to the tree line, traveling slowly and cautiously to avoid detection.

Suddenly she heard soft footsteps approaching them. Spinning around, Rebecca expected to see a walker lurching toward her. Instead she saw Sarita running toward her, carrying a pistol. "Let her go, you bastards! Can't you see she's a pregnant woman?" the Indian woman yelled. Rebecca glanced up at the ski lodge, hoping the yell would alert the people inside, but no lights appeared in the lodge.

Carver turned, brandishing his pistol. When he saw Sarita, he scowled. "Dammit!" he spat crossly. Sarita aimed her gun at him, her pretty features twisted into a snarl. The other two members of Carver's group did not raise their guns, afraid that she would shoot Carver.

"Let her go! Now!" she commanded, but Rebecca could hear a slight quaver in her voice. Carver sensed the Indian woman's fear and acted upon it like a smooth serpent.

"Now, let's not be hasty," he purred, slowly walking toward her and lowering his pistol. Sarita kept her gun trained on him. "Back off." she said, and Carver moved a step away. Sarita looked at Rebecca. "Come here. I'll protect you."

_But they'll try to hurt Alvin… _Rebecca looked down. "Just go back to the lodge, Sarita," the pregnant woman said dejectedly. "I don't want you to get hurt on my account."

Sarita stared at Rebecca disbelievingly. "You actually _want _to go with these people?" Rebecca didn't answer, keeping her eyes trained downward.

Sarita's eyes narrowed and she waved her gun at Carver. "Drop the weapon!" she ordered. "That goes for you, too!" she directed at the other two.

Carver paused, gauging the situation. Finally he placed his weapon on the ground, concealing his small smirk from everybody but Rebecca. The other two members of Carver's group followed suit.

As Sarita came forward to pick them up, her eyes dropped from Carver. As soon as her eyes left him, Carver lunged for the Indian woman. Sarita straightened up quickly and tried to train her gun on him, but he grabbed her arm and twisted it, causing her to drop the pistol with a cry of pain. Sarita's arm was painfully twisted behind her back and she whimpered. Rebecca winced. _Don't hurt her, please!_

"Just give in and they won't hurt you, Sarita!" Rebecca called. She turned to Carver. "Leave her alone, she doesn't understand!" she implored.

Carver ignored her, putting the Indian woman in a sleeper hold, constricting her windpipe. As Sarita choked, she clawed desperately at Carver's arms. Rebecca tried to lunge forward, but the other man restrained her. Finally, Sarita went limp and Carver dropped her to the ground. Rebecca looked at her anxiously. _Is she…? _Carver picked up the dropped arms and distributed them to their rightful owners, pocketing Sarita's weapon himself.

Carver's eyes met her own, and in them she saw a challenge. Rebecca did not look away, instead glaring at the man with pure hatred. _Someday, I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch._

Carver finally turned away and directed the group to keep moving, leaving Sarita's body lying on the ground. As they traveled further and further away from the ski lodge, Rebecca heard groans and snarls coming from behind them.

Walkers.

The other two members of Carver's group looked back cautiously, but Carver never gave any indication that he heard the sounds. The noises increased excitedly and then slowly went silent as the four people continued walking. Rebecca bowed her head.

After walking for another quarter of an hour, the group came to two horses tethered to a sapling. The animals looked around at the people's approach and nickered when they recognized the humans.

The other man in Carver's group untethered one of the horses, a nut brown creature, and mounted it. The woman sat behind him and they waited as Carver untethered the other horse, a dark gray one, and motioned for Rebecca to approach. "Well, get on then," he said gruffly.

The pregnant woman put one foot in the stirrups and pushed off the ground. Carver balanced her as she threw her leg over the horse and sat in the saddle. The man quickly mounted the horse and she scooted back to accommodate him. He took hold of the reins and she reluctantly gripped his waist as he urged the horse forward. The nut brown horse followed.

Rebecca's short hair whipped her face as they rode, and her bruised cheek throbbed painfully, though not so painfully as her stomach. The baby kicked, and Rebecca shifted in the saddle uncomfortably.

The horses rode for a couple of hours through the forest, during which Rebecca remained alert. The jostling motion of the horse's galloping made her nauseous. Spitefully she looked at Carver's back. _I ought to throw up on him. It'd serve him right._

As the sun peeked over the horizon, the horses finally slowed to a trot, then a walk. Rebecca peered over Carver's back to see an average-sized encampment. It was enclosed on all sides by a wooden fence with barbed wire. There were a couple of towers where guards sat holding rifles.

As the two horses approached the front gate, it creaked open, allowing Rebecca to see the interior.

She remembered it all too well.

"Welcome back to the family, Rebecca," Carver said.

**A/N: So…that was a lot to digest, yes? I wanted this chapter to be in Rebecca's point of view to show what happened in the time she was captured. Also, I wanted to show where Sarita was, as she did not appear in Chapter 3 at all. (Did you guys notice?) **

**Next chapter will be out sometime in the near future. I'm just going to tell you right now, the next few chapters are going to throw you all for a **_**huge **_**loop. Not that I'm advertising or anything! ;)**

**Review, speculate, tell me what's right or wrong with the story (I enjoy a good Simon Cowell-type of criticism sometimes)! Love you guys! xx**


	5. Chapter 5: Out Of Hand

**A/N: **_**NattieH**_**: Thanks a lot! I like your suggestion, but I can't do Kenny's POV (at least not yet) since that would give too much away! :)| **_**Kenny: **_**I don't know, man, as of now, "Sa-ray-ray" is lying in the woods outside the ski lodge. We'll see! | **_**hydroxypropanone:**_** Thanks so much! I'm glad to entertain you! I like Kenny too; at least I did in Season 1, not so much in Season 2. | **_**sizzyb123: **_**Thanks, I appreciate it! 3 | **_**Aiko33: **_**Wow, you're very observant! You caught something even I forgot about! Hopefully, though, this chapter will clear up any confusion you may have about Sarita! Thanks for the review! |**_**PerksOfBeingASloth: **_**Glad I could distract you for a while! Yes, I'm definitely going to write more! |**_**Guest: **_**Thanks so much! Yes, Alvin being alone with Kenny is a little sketchy…|**_**Hailey: **_**What a great compliment! Actually, I agree with you about Episode 2; I think Kenny did something to Luke; after all, Luke wouldn't just disappear like that. Very mysterious…|sky of c-o-l-o-r-s: Thanks! Yeah, I noticed that about many stories on ffnet; they follow the storyline too closely and there's no element of surprise. I liked the ideas about the characters you explained in your review, and I think you should write a fic of your own! |**

**I still cannot believe this story is getting so much attention! I'm excited that you guys like it so much and that I can entertain you while we wait for Telltale to release more episodes! I can already tell that this is going to be my longest story ever on ffnet and I hope this ride will be a good one for you all! Also, there's a new poll in my profile for TWD. It is a poll for my next shortfic, so if you guys want to, check that out! Without further ado, enjoy!**

/

_Decisions_

_Chapter Five: Out Of Hand_

"_The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter what side he's on."_

Sarita opened her eyes weakly. The edges of her vision were hazy and she felt extremely dizzy. The Indian woman slowly lifted her head and winced when her neck complained. Sarita closed her eyes and allowed herself to lie on the ground for a few minutes, slowly feeling strength return to her body.

As she lay there peacefully, she heard soft, guttural noises. Sarita opened her eyes again and tried to sit up, the edges of her vision spotting as her head felt light. The Indian woman squinted around in the moonlight, searching for the source of the noises. As she scanned the tree line, her eyes suddenly fell upon movement in the forest.

A herd of walkers was advancing upon her. Sarita stiffened in fear, looking desperately around for her gun. It was nowhere to be seen. Desperately, Sarita struggled to get to her feet, her dizziness causing her to stumble. As the walkers shambled toward her, she began to stagger away slowly. As she moved, the blood circulated through her muscles and she began to feel less faint. Sarita began to run faster, leaving the herd behind. Their grunts and snarls soon passed out of her hearing range, and she allowed herself to slow down and relax.

As Sarita walked, the ski lodge slowly came into view. When she saw it, the Indian woman smiled in relief, striding happily toward it.

Until she was knocked sideways.

Sarita's right shoulder hit the ground with a dull thud, her whole right arm going up in pain. The woman quickly rolled to the side, trying to get away from the threat.

A walker lay on the ground beside her, struggling to reach her. Its rotten arms clawed at her legs, and Sarita cried out, terrified. The Indian woman scanned the ground for some sort of weapon. As the infected creature gripped her left leg, Sarita threw her arm out and grabbed a short, wide stick.

The walker's mouth edged closer to her leg, and she responded by swinging the stick powerfully, hitting the walker across the mouth. It snarled as its jaw was dislocated and Sarita found herself face-to-face with the creature. Its dark, bloodshot eyes glared at her as it emitted a guttural sound that brought black blood bubbling up in its throat and between its jaws.

Sarita kicked it in the head, but it continued to crawl up her body, its weight pinning her down. The smaller woman screamed as she grabbed the stick with both hands and used it to brace against the walker, pinning the stick against its neck as it tried to lunge at her.

The Indian woman tensed as she heard a crack, and she looked at the stick. As the stick supported the walker's weight, the wood began to splinter. Sarita gasped in fear. _It won't last much longer! I have to think of something! _She struggled to move her lower body, but it was pinned beneath the walker. _What do I do?_

The stick finally cracked in half, and Sarita held two splintered ends, one in each hand. As the walker fell toward her, she quickly plunged one of the splintered sticks into its scabby neck. Black blood poured out onto her body. It was surprisingly warm, and she recoiled, revolted. The walker's throat slid down the stick and Sarita stabbed the other stick into the underside of its chin. The Indian woman's arm slipped down the stick, slick with blood, and her wrist pressed against the walker's jaw.

Hastily, Sarita adjusted her grip on the stick. The walker tried to lunge at her, but it couldn't reach her because of the sticks embedded in its head. Sarita extended her arms, groaning with effort. The walker's jaw was lifted away from her and the Indian woman twisted, sending the walker tumbling to the ground. Sarita stabbed the sticks further into the infected creature's head and rolled away, freeing herself from the walker's embrace.

As Sarita got to her feet, the walker struggled to get up. However, Sarita had stabbed it so forcefully that the sticks became embedded in the ground, effectively pinning it.

Sarita moved away from it, breathing hard. As she walked toward the ski lodge, the walker's growls and gurgles died away. Sarita relaxed and smiled, laughing in sweet relief.

She looked down at her clothes and body. She was covered in gunk and goo. Her clothes were irredeemable and her forearms were caked in blood. Her whole body ached and throbbed.

She felt great.

Sarita whooped quietly to herself, breaking out into a run toward the ski lodge. _I did it! I actually killed a walker! Take that, Kenny! Wait until I tell you-_

She suddenly slowed to a walk, frowning. _But I can't tell him. _Kenny would respond harshly, she knew. "What the hell were you doing outside, Sarita? Do you have a fucking death wish?" he would roar. And probably strike her. That was how she got her last bruise. Defying him.

She rubbed her cheek reflectively as she walked closer to the lodge. No, she couldn't tell him. She had to hide the fact that she was even outside the lodge. _Or he'll hurt me really badly. _She couldn't even let on that she knew about Rebecca's disappearance. She would have to play dumb. She hated to let Rebecca down like that, but it was Rebecca or herself, and Sarita fancied herself a pragmatist.

The Indian woman came to the door of the ski lodge, quietly creaking it open and slipping inside, securing the door behind her the best she could. The lock was broken, so she simply closed the door. Sarita carefully looked around, alert for any sort of movement. Everyone was still asleep.

She quietly tiptoed to the ground floor bathroom, letting herself in and locking the door behind her. Sarita blindly groped around for a lighter and her fingers touched the plastic edge of one. She gripped it and flicked the wheel, illuminating the small room. She quickly located a candle sitting near the sink and lit the wick, allowing the lighter to go out as the wick caught.

Sarita gazed at herself in the mirror. She was a wreck. The bruise from Kenny still marred her perfect cheekbones, and her face and throat were spattered with blood. Her clothes were ripped and red with blood, and Sarita removed them gingerly, putting them in the sink so she wouldn't drip blood on the floor.

She picked up the candle and walked over to the shower. Sarita knew she wouldn't have much time to get clean, as someone would have to prime the pump outside to accumulate enough water for the shower to run. However, she hoped that there was enough water left over in the pipes that she wouldn't need to prime the pump. The Indian woman slowly turned the faucets, praying that there would be water.

A thin stream poured out of the shower, steadily increasing into a decent shower. Sarita figured she had about thirty seconds of water, so she hastily set the candle down outside the shower and stepped inside, lathering up quickly and letting the blood pour off her. The water wasn't warm, but Sarita welcomed the clean feeling of the soap.

The water shut off and Sarita stepped out, toweling her hair and picking up the candle. She walked back over to the sink and examined her hair in the mirror critically with the dim light of the candle. _What a rat's nest. _Grabbing a comb, she hastily picked through her hair. When she was done, she glanced down where her damaged clothes lay in the sink. _Might as well get rid of these. _

Sarita silently walked out of the bathroom wrapped in the towel, her bloody clothes in her arms and the candle in one hand. _Now…where to put these? _Sarita walked into the cafeteria area, where there was a medium-sized garbage can. It seemed like an okay place to dispose of them, so Sarita buried them in the garbage under several cans of beans and peaches.

Sarita walked out of the cafeteria area and glanced at the upstairs balcony. _My clothes are up there…and so is everybody else. Just my luck. _Sighing to herself, the Indian woman cautiously moved to the stairs and began to climb them, ignoring the soreness that panged her whole body. _Why do I ache so much? _When she reached the top, Sarita turned toward the bedroom she shared with Kenny, and there she paused, just outside the ajar door.

_What if he wakes up? What will he say? What will he do? _Sarita's thoughts whipped around in her head like a flurry, and the woman took a deep breath to calm herself before she gently nudged the door open. For once, luck was on her side, as the door made no noise. Sarita crept over to the set of drawers and opened them, keeping a watchful eye over the snoring Kenny. The bearded man was sprawled out over the comforter, his arm dangling over the side of the bed. Sarita quickly selected a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of sweats, slipping them on and creeping over to her side of the bed.

Carefully, Sarita edged her way onto the bed, easing her weight down little by little. Kenny did not stir, and Sarita set the candle on her nightstand, blowing it out. The Indian woman sighed softly, laying back. She immediately felt her eyelids grow heavy. Sarita dozed off, her body still immensely sore and achy.

After what seemed like a few minutes, Sarita awakened as Kenny shifted in the bed. She opened one eye to track his movements. The grizzled man was putting on a pair of jeans over his boxers as he sat on the edge of the bed. The Indian woman yawned, stretching both hands above her head. Kenny turned as he heard her voice.

The Floridian smiled and leaned over to kiss her. "Good morning, Sarita. Sleep well?"

Sarita returned the kiss and smiled. "Of course. And you?"

"Like a log." Kenny chuckled as he buttoned his jeans. He got up and walked over to the door, cracking his neck from side to side. "I'd better see how those folks slept, so I'll see you later."

"Okay," Sarita agreed, her smile faltering a little. _He's going to see the broken lock. Plus, Rebecca's missing. This isn't going to be pretty. I'd better get up and tame the beast before he goes insane._

As Kenny left the room, Sarita sat up. Her body ached badly, even worse than the night before. _Ouch…why is this happening? I didn't get hurt that badly by Carver, did I? _Ignoring her body's complaints, Sarita stood up, stretching her arms above her head again before leaving the room.

She was just in time for the show. Kenny stormed back and forth in front of the door, stopping every once in a while to examine the broken lock. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he chanted, like some sort of deranged mantra.

Sarita descended the stairs, stopping a few feet away from the volatile man. "What's the matter?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Kenny turned to her, his eyes wild. "Somebody was in here last night. The lock's busted. But I don't know why. It couldn't have been bandits. Nothing was taken. Nothing was tipped over or messed up."

"But the door's lock is busted!" Sarita argued, repeating what Kenny had said. _Keep him talking. The more he talks, the less he is likely to hit or break something. _"How do you explain that? It didn't just happen!"

"I don't know, Sarita," Kenny said angrily, throwing up his hands. The Indian woman retreated a step. "Do I look like a fucking psychic to you?"

"I know, Kenny," Sarita said, raising her hands placatingly. _Just diffuse his anger and he'll calm down. _"I know. I'm just worried about somebody trying to hurt us."

Kenny relaxed and Sarita allowed herself a sigh of relief. _Finally, he calmed down. _The grizzled man came forward and circled his arms around her in a tight embrace. Sarita returned the hug, cuddling into him. "Don't worry," he murmured softly, his breath ruffling her hair, and she blinked up at him. _He really does love me. I know that. I guess just sometimes he gets angry and lashes out._

"I won't let anything happen to you." Kenny promised. Sarita let go of the bearded man as he stepped back. He gave her a smile and began to walk toward the cafeteria area. She felt her heart swell happily.

"Wait!" Sarita called, and he turned around, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

_I love you. _Sarita wanted to say it, but she was afraid to. She didn't know what he would do. _Would he say it back? _

Kenny was waiting for her to speak, so she quickly thought of a question to ask him. _I can't tell him yet, I'm too afraid. _ "What about that little girl? Clementine?" The Indian woman caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. The needles of the Christmas tree were shaking slightly.

"What about her?" Kenny asked. "She's staying with us."

_Is that wise? _Sarita chose her words carefully, knowing the girl was crouching behind the tree. "But she didn't want to. She wanted to be with her group."

Kenny shook his head. "That's just what she thinks right now," he insisted. "She's just confused. She was lost and alone and then she found them and she thinks they're the best things since sliced bread. She'll come around, you'll see."

_I doubt it. _Sarita looked away, unwilling to respond. She glanced over at the tree as Kenny walked toward the cafeteria area. _Now do you see how he is? I'm sure he's a lot different than you remember him. He's a scary man. But…I love him too._

Sarita followed Kenny into the cafeteria. The bearded man was pouring a can of some sort of goop into a bowl. The Indian woman wrinkled her nose in mild repugnance before stepping up beside him. Kenny caught her expression and smirked. "Hungry?"

The Indian woman shrugged. "I know it's all we have, but sometimes I get sick of peaches and beans all the time."

The grizzled Floridian shrugged. "So do I," he agreed. He took the bowl and sat down at one of the plastic picnic tables. Sarita sat down across from him, watching him eat. "Want some?" Kenny asked. Sarita shook her head. She felt a little nauseous and tired.

As Kenny ate, he glanced up at her from time to time. Sarita leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. They sat in comfortable silence for a time.

Finally Kenny spoke. "Listen…I know I've been kind of an ass lately." His eyes flickered to Sarita's bruised cheekbones. "Anyway, I just wanted to apologize. You don't deserve that at all, Sarita."

Sarita's eyes met his. Kenny set his bowl aside and reached forward, tenderly touching her injured cheek. The Indian woman leaned into his touch.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Kenny stroking her cheek. Finally, he took his hand away and stood up, carrying his bowl over to the sink. As he passed by her, heading for the living room, he paused.

"I'm going to try to be a better man and do right by you, Sarita," he promised. "I…" Kenny stopped and went silent. Sarita blinked, waiting.

Kenny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going to go talk to Clementine. I think you're right. If she wants to leave, I should let her. I'll get her bag and help her pack." The bearded man walked into the living room and Sarita watched him leave in wonder. _He's changing. I wonder what brought that around…_

Standing up, Sarita walked over to the sink to clean Kenny's bowl. She turned the faucet and a clear stream of water came out. _Walt or Kenny must have primed the pump this morning. Good._

As Sarita held the bowl under the trickle of water, the liquid began to soak her long sleeves. The Indian woman frowned, placing the bowl in the sink and pushing her sleeves up to her elbows.

Her eyes flickered to a mark on her wrist.

Turning her hand over, Sarita looked at the mark. She went rigid as she slowly realized what the mark was.

The wound was clean, but Sarita's wrist bore several punctures. They weren't deep, but they were there regardless. As the Indian woman examined it closer, she noticed that the veins connecting to her injured wrist were a deep reddish-purple. She felt no pain in her wrist, but her whole body felt tired and nauseous. The transformation was beginning.

Sarita was bitten.

**A/N: So. That happened.**

**I'm sure some of you may have predicted it; nevertheless, it was probably still shocking. How will Sarita deal with this? For that matter, how will Kenny deal with this?**

**I felt bad about making Kenny out to be some sort of Carver-double, so I kind of wanted to elaborate on his relationship with Sarita a little. He's a complicated man, and the hardest one to write, to be honest. **

**Also, if you guys are a little confused on the chronological settings of these chapters, this chapter takes place simultaneously as Chapters 2 and 3 take place. A few minutes after Kenny leaves the cafeteria, he has the confrontation with Clementine since he has gone to get her bag. I hope that clears things up for you all.**

**Next chapter will be out sometime in the future. No promises, though, because my teachers are determined to make my life a living hell (they're succeeding). But ASAP, I promise. Love you guys! xx**


	6. Chapter 6: Bonds

**A/N: Sorry for the month-long wait, guys! I've just been super busy with college applications, scholarships, and schoolwork and I just didn't have the time to work on this. But I promised I wouldn't abandon **_**Decisions**_**, and I intend to keep that promise! No worries!**

_**The Old Master Known as Curtis: **_**Thanks! | **_**The Forbidden Melody: **_**Haha, sorry! Yes, I agree; I'm scared to interact around Kenny in the game, too. I definitely hope none of the other members of the group die either! And, yep. Sarita. :/ | **_**Kenny: **_**._. | **_**Aiko33: **_**Yeah, Kenny's had such bad luck… | **_**NattieH: **_**No problem, and thanks for the compliments! | **_**Hailey: **_**Thanks a lot! | **_**PerksOfBeingASloth: **_**No kidding! Who wouldn't be wrecked by that! |**

_/_

_Decisions _

_Chapter Six: Bonds_

"_Can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid."_

_/_

Clementine wiped a hand across her forehead as she and the others trudged through the undergrowth. The young girl looked down at her hand, which was smudged with sweat and grime. Luke, who was walking next to her, smirked as he looked at her.

"You've got some dirt there," he said, gesturing to his own forehead. Clementine shrugged.

"I'm already dirty anyway. I don't think it makes much difference." Her shirt was dirty and ripped in several places from thorns.

The group had been walking for about an hour, following the tracks of two horses the group had guessed were Carver's. Clementine couldn't suppress the niggle of doubt in the back of her mind. _He didn't even bother to hide his trail. Why not? _

As Clementine, Luke, and Nick walked close together in a solid group, Carlos and Sarah began to straggle behind as the minutes ticked by. The eleven-year old glanced back occasionally to keep track of their distance behind her. When they lagged too far back for the front group to see, Clementine stopped. When Luke and Nick looked at her questioningly, she said, "They're falling back. I don't know what's going on."

Luke frowned, but didn't say anything. The three of them trudged back to where they saw Carlos and Sarah. Carlos was in good shape, but Sarah was breathing heavily and bent over her knees. When Carlos saw them, he took a couple of steps forward.

"She has mild asthma." he explained. "Not enough to have an attack, but enough to cause her to be out-of-breath from exertion." Sarah's father looked at Clementine critically. "This is why I preferred not to bring her," the man said, folding his arms sternly.

Clementine narrowed her eyes and looked at Carlos squarely. "It's better for her to be out here with us than to be back there at the lodge. Trust me, it's a lot safer."

The Hispanic man eyed her suspiciously, but relented, averting his gaze. He looked at his daughter, who was visibly pale and shivering. Clementine looked at her appraisingly. _She's slowing us down. At this rate, we'll never make it to Carver's camp. _

"I have an idea," the eleven-year old said. Luke, Nick, and Carlos turned to her. "How about if Carlos and Sarah stay behind or go back to camp. Me, Luke, and Nick will keep going."

"We can't leave you three to handle this yourselves!" Carlos protested.

"I agree with Clem." Luke said. "It's safer for you two to stay behind. Sarah can't stay behind alone, so you should stay with her."

Carlos' brow darkened. "I'll have you know my daughter is perfectly capable of-."

"Listen, Carlos," Clementine interrupted. "I know Sarah can do it. But do you really want to put her in danger? There's no way we're just going to be able to walk into Carver's camp, get Rebecca, and go back to the lodge? It's not going to happen. There's going to be a fight."

The young girl looked at Luke and Nick. The two men looked down at her solemnly. Clementine nodded at them and turned her gaze back to Carlos.

"The three of us can handle it. I'll find a way to sneak in, I'll unlock the gate, and Luke and Nick will come in. We'll get Rebecca." Clementine did not move her eyes from Carlos the entire time she spoke. _I have to stand my ground or he won't listen._

Nick stepped up and clapped Carlos on the shoulder. "It won't be a problem, man. Just stay here and wait for us. Or go back to camp. Either one. We'll be fine." The usually-stoic man offered the Hispanic man a grin.

Carlos didn't return the smile, but he nodded in assent. "Okay. But be very careful." He reached around his hip and brought around a massive sheath. He detached it from his belt and offered it to Nick. "Take my knife. You may need it."

Nick nodded and took the knife, attaching it to his waist.

Luke smiled at Carlos and Sarah. "We'll see you guys in a few. Hang in there, Sarah," he said amicably.

Luke, Nick, and Clementine turned away from the father and daughter and continued to follow the tracks of the horses. As the hours passed, Clementine's feet began to drag and the weight of her backpack began to take its toll.

It was dusk before the three heard voices up ahead. Luke signaled for them to halt.

"Sounds like the compound's just ahead," the young man said in a hoarse whisper. "Stay cautious. We need to scope out the place."

Clementine crept forward through the foliage, taking care not to rustle the plants too much. When she could see the compound, she stopped and glanced over at Luke, who was beside her. He was frowning. "It's definitely not going to be easy. It's fortified."

The compound had a tall brick wall encircling it. At each corner of the wall, there was a tower in which a guard resided. There was a metal gate at one side of the compound, the only way in. Clementine could only see in through the gate; there were a couple of small, sturdy buildings that looked like they could be houses.

"There are four guards!" Nick whispered excitedly. "We can take them!" The impetuous man began to take aim with his rifle, but Luke grabbed the end of the rifle and brought it down.

"Wait!" insisted Luke. "We need to sneak in. We don't know how many of them there are, and there are only three of us."

Clementine nodded. "Sneaking in would be a lot less risky than just gunning our way in."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Why is it that you two always agree with each other?"

Clementine huffed. "Don't be an asshole, Nick." Nick glared over at her until he saw the teasing smirk curling around her lips. He rolled his eyes again, but smirked.

Clementine glanced at the metal gate. _Maybe…the bars are pretty far apart…_

"I think I could fit in between those bars," she said. "But would the guards see me if I did?"

"I don't know," Luke replied. "but that's a good idea. I think we should wait until nightfall, though. You'll be harder to see."

Clementine looked down at her light purple shirt ruefully. "This shirt kind of stands out."

"I can fix that," Nick teased, gesturing to a nearby mud pit that had formed after a rainstorm a few days prior. Clementine groaned quietly.

"At least it's not walker guts this time," she muttered. Luke looked at her questioningly, so she said, "I'll explain some other time." The eleven-year old moved over to the mud pit and began to spread the mud all over her clothes, turning them a dull brown. _Ugh…it's so cold._

When she was finished, Clementine took a bit of mud and spread it over her face. Her hair she left untouched since it was already dark enough. She tried to wipe her hands on her jeans, but her pants were already so caked with mud that she only succeeded in smudging more on her hands. The young girl groaned and Luke chuckled softly.

Clementine gave him a stern look while wiping her hands on a fern frond. "Shut up." He obediently stopped laughing, but continued to grin.

The three of them waited until the moon was high in the sky before executing their plan. Clementine crept up to the gate cautiously, looking up at the guards. They were facing away from the compound, toward the woods. Blinking mud out of her eyes, the eleven-year old touched the bars gently. They were cold.

Decisively, Clementine slipped her right leg through the bars. Then, she slipped her right arm through. She began to squeeze her torso through the bars of the gate, sucking in her stomach. With a quiet groan of effort, she popped through the bars to the other side.

Clementine glanced back at Luke and Nick, who were barely visible amidst the foliage, and gave them a thumbs-up. Luke returned it.

The eleven-year old turned to face the rest of the compound. It was a simply-built place. There was a building that looked like it had once been a church, a few sturdy little buildings, and some gardens. There was even a fountain in the center of the compound spraying water.

Clementine glanced around, searching for guards. When she sensed none, she turned her attention to the lock on the gate. It was a large padlock with a chain attaching it to a metal hoop in the wall. There was no way she could break it. _I'll have to look for the keys. But who'll have them? _

The young girl signaled to Luke and Nick that she was going to look around. Luke quickly motioned for her to halt. Confused, Clementine waited as Luke slowly crept up to the gate.

"Here," the young man said hoarsely, offering her Carlos' knife. "Take it…just in case."

"Thanks," she replied, drawing the blade and examining it. It was a quite large knife with a serrated blade, and it glinted against the moonlight. Sheathing the knife, Clementine began to turn away, but Luke gripped her shoulder, stopping her.

"Don't worry about finding a key yet. Figure out where Rebecca is first if you can. Find out as much as you can from her."

"Okay," agreed Clementine. As Luke sidled back to the foliage, the eleven-year old assessed the situation. _If I was Carver, where would I bring Rebecca? _Her eyes fell upon the church. It was the largest building in the compound, with a towering roof topped by a cross. _It's as good a place as any to start. _

Crouching down, she began to creep forward, eyes and ears alert for the sounds of guards. As she got closer to the church, Clementine was able to hear voices coming from within. The young girl paused as she came close to a nativity scene and crouched in the shadow it cast upon the ground. As she looked at the nativity scene, she noticed something strange.

In the days preceding the apocalypse, Clementine and her family went to church sometimes. Not all the time, but enough times that she was familiar with the nativity scene.

The three most important people in the scene were missing. Mary. Joseph. And Baby Jesus. _That's really weird._

Moving forward until she reached the brick building, Clementine edged around the building until she came to a stained-glass window. Peering in the best she could, she could see several people within. There were five or six people talking together, none of which she recognized. None of them were Carver or Rebecca. _I wonder if there's another way in._

Circling the walls of the building, Clementine looked around intently for another entrance. She stopped when she reached the back of the building. There was a large metal box attached to the building. _Probably a heater or something. _The eleven-year old looked up the wall. The bricks jutted out slightly and formed a lip. It looked like something she could reach if she jumped her highest.

Clementine climbed atop the metal box and reached her arms toward the lip of the wall. She was a few feet short. Crouching low, she threw her body upward. Her hands scrabbled for purchase among the bricks, and her left hand anchored itself on the wall. Quickly throwing her right arm over the lip of the wall, she braced herself before pulling her body over the wall.

As her feet touched the flat surface of the roof, Clementine breathed a sigh of relief before walking forward. The belfry towered over the rest of the church. _There's no way I'll be able to get up there. _Looking around for some sort of way in, the young girl's eyes fell upon a door that was built into the roof. It appeared to be some sort of attic door. Striding over to it, Clementine gripped the handle and gave it a tug. It didn't budge. _Rats._

Suddenly, the young girl heard shouts. Turning around and ducking down behind the lip of the wall, Clementine watched as two guards walked in the gate, dragging a third person with them.

_Luke?!_

The young man struggled as the guards dragged him through the plaza. Finally, they released him, and he began to stand up, but one of the guards trained a gun on him. Luke slowly sank back to his knees.

As Clementine watched in panic, one of the guards strode over to one of the sturdy buildings and disappeared inside, while the other guard kept his gun trained on Luke. _But…where's Nick?_

The guard came out of the building, closely followed by a taller man. The two of them strode over to where Luke knelt in the plaza. The tall man knelt down in front of Luke. With a jolt, Clementine realized who it was. _Carver!_

Straining her ears, the eleven-year old tried to listen to the conversation below.

"…saw you when they were returning from a hunt," Carver was saying. "I guess you should've been more careful."

Luke sneered in contempt. "My friend got away. He'll be bringing help soon. You'll be sorry you ever caused trouble with us." The young man spat on Carver's boots. Clementine winced. _This isn't going to end well…_

Carver shook his head, chuckling. Then he drew back his foot and kicked Luke in the face. Luke fell onto his back and Carver bent over him menacingly.

"Do that again," Carver snarled, "and I will _fuck you up_!" He picked up Luke by the front of his jacket and growled in his face, "Do you hear me, farm boy?"

Dazed, Luke merely nodded. Carver released him and he fell back in the dirt. In the light of the moon, Clementine could see the crimson spatter of blood on the young man's nose and mouth. The eleven-year old brought a hand to the knife on her belt. _I have to do something! He could kill Luke! _Clementine eyed the ground around the church. There was a garden bordering the wall of the church. _If I jump, the soil should be soft enough to cushion me. _

Clementine took the knife off her belt and dropped it into the garden so she wouldn't land on it when she jumped. Hesitantly, she peered over the side. _That has to be at least ten feet. _Taking a deep breath, Clementine threw herself over the side of the church.

The eleven-year old landed with a grunt of pain. Getting to her feet gingerly, she looked around for the knife she had dropped. Finding it, she reattached it to her belt before sidling to the corner of the church, her legs aching slightly. Clementine cautiously peered around the corner. Carver and the two guards were hauling Luke to his feet and dragging him toward the small building Carver had come from.

Clementine touched the knife and looked at Luke helplessly, powerless. _I can't do anything…they have guns and they outnumber me. I have to figure out another way. If I can find Nick, maybe we can do it…_

The door of the building shut with an audible slam, and Clementine slinked around the corner, knife drawn in defense. The eleven-year old left the cover of the church and moved closer to the building Luke had disappeared into, searching for a window.

As Clementine neared the center of the plaza, the door suddenly opened. Quickly, the young girl threw her body behind the nearest obstacle-the fountain. Peering over the side, Clementine watched as Carver stepped out, followed by one of the guards.

"I know he's not alone. He wouldn't be that stupid. He brought others." Carver insisted to the guard.

"The dark-haired one fled. We lost him," the guard replied. "I didn't see any others."

Even in the moonlight, Clementine could see Carver's smirk as he walked toward the center of the plaza, straight for the fountain. _Shit! _Getting into an army-crawl position on elbows and knees, the eleven-year old waited.

"I know Alvin's not one of them; I injured him, so he's out. Carlos is a possibility. His daughter is definitely not. Nick is out there somewhere." Carver stopped talking for a few seconds, and the sound of footsteps was the only thing Clementine could hear.

Suddenly, Carver chucked, and the sound of it sent a shudder down the young girl's spine.

"Of course, I'm forgetting one person. How silly of me." Clementine's eyes went wide in fear. _Does he mean…?_

"The little girl."

"You really think a little girl would be a member of a search party?" the guard asked skeptically.

Carver smiled. "She's actually quite capable. In fact, she lied directly to my face when I paid a visit to her group's house. She threatened me as well. "I have a gun," and all that. I would stay wary of her despite her age."

Both men went silent as they walked. Clementine listened carefully for their footsteps. As she heard them to her right, the young girl crawled around the left side of the fountain, pausing as the men passed the fountain on the right side. Stealthily, the eleven-year old skulked around to the front of the fountain, pressing her back against the cool plaster. The footsteps of Carver and the guard faded away and Clementine sighed in relief. The calm feeling didn't last long, as the girl tensed up again.

_They're looking for me. Carver's looking for me. I need to find Nick. _Clementine's hand went to the knife again. The rough handle of the weapon reassured her. _Okay…I can do this. I'm…strong. I…I can do anything._

Grimly, Clementine glanced around the fountain. Carver and the guard were standing near the gate. The guard was holding a shotgun, but Carver had no gun as far as she could see.

Clementine's hand tightened around the knife. _Just wait till you're alone, Carver. _

_I'll be ready._

**A/N: I'm thinking the next chapter will be out quicker. Anyway, sorry again for leaving you guys hanging. I hope y'all liked this chapter. Review! **

**I'm debating whether or not to start telling you guys who will narrate the next chapter. Tell me in the reviews whether you would like me to do so or not. This chapter, I'm not going to reveal the narrator, but if enough people want me to start doing that, I will. **

**Love you guys! xx**


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